The use of embedded universal integrated circuit cards (eUICCs), also referred to as embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), is becoming increasingly prevalent in consumer and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication fields. Unlike a traditional UICC or SIM card that exists as a removable smart card that is transferable between multiple devices, an eUICC is an integrated circuit that is not designed to be user removable, i.e., it is generally embedded with or soldered to other electronic components of a device.
An eUICC may contain one or more eSIM profiles, in which each eSIM profile contains a unique international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number that enables a corresponding device to obtain telecommunication services from an associated mobile network operator (MNO). Other data that are stored in the eSIM profile may include carrier network information, security authentication information, a list of accessible network services, and/or so forth. The MNO may transfer an eSIM profile to the eUICC via an over-the-air (OTA) update. M2M devices are networked machines that use the telecommunication services provided by the wireless carrier to communicate with other machines. For example, an M2M monitoring device that is embedded in a vehicle may automatically send vehicle tracking and operation information to a remote support device at a control center. In another example, an M2M device in the form of a smart home appliance may automatically send diagnostic information to a monitoring device at a service center in case of an appliance malfunction. Accordingly, an M2M device that is equipped with an eUICC may be remotely set up to receive telecommunication services from an MNO without having to be provisioned with a physical SIM card from the MNO.
Additionally, once an eSIM profile is installed on an eUICC of an M2M device, the MNO may perform remote operations with respect to the eSIM profile. The remote operations may include remotely activating the eSIM profile so that the M2M device can authenticate to and obtain telecommunication services from the MNO. The remote operations may further include remotely disabling the eSIM profile to terminate the access of the M2M device to the telecommunication services, or remotely deleting the eSIM profile from the eUICC of the M2M device. In some instances, such provisioning operations may be performed by a Subscription Manager Secure Routing (SM-SR) that is operated by the MNO. The SM-SR may be a subscription management service that is hosted on a server of the MNO. The SM-SR may be triggered by a Subscription Manager Data Preparation (SM-DP) to perform the download of the eSIM profiles to M2M devices. The SM-DP is a subscription management service that is responsible for storing eSIM profiles that are available for distribution to eUICCs and managing the profile states of such eSIM profiles. The SM-DP may be hosted on a server of the MNO or a server of a third-party partner of the MNO.